The Nature of Predators - Star Crossed (7/13)

First | Prev | Next

Memory Transcription Subject: Kelvanis, Kolshian Asylum Seeker

Date [standardized human time]: January 6, 2150

My dreams were of Chloe and I sitting in a flowery field, overlooking a lakeside cabin on the humans’ planet—somehow, my brain just knew that was where we were. As a voice brought me away from the scene I didn’t want to leave, my first realization was that I’d never asked the color of vegetation on Earth. My mind had selected an oceanic blue as the placeholder, perhaps inspired by our talk of flood control. I wasn’t in a hurry to shed the blankets, pulling them tighter over my body. It wasn’t often that I got a good night’s sleep back on Aafa; I certainly didn’t have a plushy mattress wide enough for two individuals. My cot back home brought only minimal functionality, with the single blanket I wrapped around myself during rolling brownouts.

“Morning, beautiful,” I murmured. “I don’t want our time to end. Why don’t we just sit here a little while? Come back to my arms.”

“Kelvan, wake up.” Chloe’s words became clearer, suggesting a thorough level of distress—similar to when she’d been afraid of me at our first meeting. That stirred my brain back to alertness, as worry clamped at my heart. “We have to get you out of here, right now. Please. I can’t have anything happen to you.”

“Did I sleep too long? Is someone coming?”

My eyes snapped open, as she switched on the lights to snap me from my stupor; they were much harsher and brighter than the starlit glow from the viewport. I groaned, before rolling over to face her. My head popped off the pillow, spotting a muscular human who watched me with impatient eyes…and was carrying a gun. I could feel my heart quicken, worrying that we were in trouble. Though I was still groggy, I had the sense to try to defuse the situation, knowing that most Terrans weren’t fond of people like me. Chloe grabbed my tentacle, and all but dragged me to my feet. Her touch sent shivers down my spine, as I resisted the impulse to display affection.

Chloe’s hair is still waterlogged; I can smell the shampoo she used, and see that she’s wearing different pelts. I wonder if I could pick flowers for her, and she could pin them in her mane? Maybe that’s a crazy idea, but I think that’d look beautiful. No, focus!

“Hello there! I hope that you’re not too upset with Chloe or myself, finding me here. I meant no offense to my gracious hosts,” I told the unfamiliar human. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll do whatever you say, no questions asked.”

The male primate grunted. “We had no fucking idea where you were, looking high and low for you. What in God’s name were either of you thinking?”

“I wanted to spend more time with Chloe. I know I should’ve thought things through better, and considered how it might concern you…but in my defense, she made it very hard to think at all.”

“For fuck’s sake. You two can read Shakespearean sonnets to each other on your own time. You need to get the hell off this floor, and don’t even think about coming back.”

“Thank you, Perry,” Chloe jumped in. “Kelvan and I will leave, right now. We’re going.”

“I’m not letting you out of my sight until you’re in the elevator—not with a Kolshian loose in our living quarters. All we need’s for him to stampede.”

“Does he look like he’s afraid of humans?” she said, tugging me into the hallway toward the lift.

“I don’t care. For what it’s worth, Chloe, I really think you should bring me to your meeting.” Perry leaned closer to her ear as he shadowed us, and dropped his voice to a near inaudible whisper; I pretended I couldn’t understand. “I thought I told you to rip off the band-aid? Dragging this out only means he’ll explode when I’m not there to stop it. You don’t know that he’s not taking advantage of you. Pretending to love you to help his app, and he’ll go ballistic—”

“Thank you, but I don’t need backup.”

“Whatever. Some people have to learn the hard way. It’ll be a long fall from Cloud Nine.”

Hurt flared in my chest, that anyone would even suggest that I was using Chloe. “You think that I’m a threat to stampede, then you’d think I can fake not being afraid, to the point of a physical connection—to love? All while knowing I’d draw the security’s ire just for being here? Say whatever nasty things you want about Kolshians, but don’t question my feelings for her.”

“It’s okay, Kelvan. Let’s just get out of here. I know the truth, and that’s what matters,” Chloe said.

Perry folded his arms. “When you break her heart, I’m going to kick your ass—because you’ll leave us to pick up the pieces. I’d think long and hard, Chloe, about how these aliens never care for us. Get out of my sight.”

I clung to my lover’s hand, demonstrating open defiance in spite of my commitment to turn the other cheek; nobody would question my intentions with Chloe. It wasn’t like I could sabotage my application’s chances any further than I had, being caught up here—and I’d do it all over again, just to be with her. The elevator doors sealed shut, and I barely had time to breathe before Chloe pressed her lips to mine. My arms roamed through her mane, but I found myself a bit distracted. What had Perry meant by ripping off the band-aid; had she been talking to the guard about not wanting to be together anymore? Had our night together not been as special to her as it was to me?

I’ll accept however she feels, because she has no obligation for anything long-term…and whether I go to Earth or Aafa, we’re bound to be separated. Maybe that’s all it is, knowing the inevitable goodbye is coming. I don’t want to break her heart.

Chloe pulled back, clearing her throat. “I’m sorry about that, Kelvan. They were going to send lots of people with guns looking for you, so I felt like I had to tell them. I couldn’t risk you getting hurt, or being locked up.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. Besides, I could never be upset with you,” I murmured, pushing her bangs away from her tawny eyes.

“Don’t be so sure about that.” Her pupils shone like she was still upset, even after we left Perry behind. I hoped the UN wasn’t punishing her on my account; water swelled near the edge of her eyelids. “I failed you. After all of my promises to help…”

“No, don’t cry. Love, you didn’t fail me at all. What have they done to you? I want to know. Any punishment that hurts you is not okay by me.”

“My punishment is having to tell you…having to be the one who...”

I caught her as she slumped to the floor, feeling her fingernails rake down my shoulder; Chloe’s legs gave out, and her face contorted in utter misery. The elevator doors dinged open on the second floor, presenting quite a scene to Terran onlookers standing nearby. I didn’t follow what my love was saying, but I knew that we couldn’t have this conversation here—before dozens of watching eyes. My leg stuck out to stop the elevator door, as it began to shut, and I scooped the human up to carry her. Holding her entire body against my chest, a surge of protectiveness rocketed through my veins. For an apex predator so feared by billions, she seemed so vulnerable and frail, with her eyes clouded by hurt.

I ignored the stares, retracing my steps back to her office; it was easier than I might’ve expected, since I remembered every detail of our time together. The guards posted in the hallways reacted with suspicion, as they saw a Kolshian carrying one of their own without her control. After a brief inspection, they noticed her head leaning against my chest, and the utter lack of resistance to my grip. Chloe’s smile looked bittersweet, when I eased her to the ground in her workspace. After checking that none of the security were pursuing us or acting agitated, I sealed the door shut for privacy. I reached out to hold her hand, and hoped she could see my sincerity in my eyes.

“It’s okay. I’m right here. What’s wrong? What do you have to tell me?” I asked gently.

Chloe sniffled. “Your application for asylum was rejected. They want me to send you away, and my pleas fell on deaf ears. I’m…so sorry, Kelvan. I wish there was more I could do, because you deserve better.”

I squeezed her wrist to offer comfort, while taking a moment to process the news for myself; a measured response was important, especially when I didn’t want the human to feel guilty for circumstances beyond her control. Chloe de Vries wasn’t behind the quarantine, the downward spiral of Aafa, or the hatred that shaped her kind’s view of us. It was as if the United Nations had hardly looked at—given no more than a passing glance—to my application. I could see the outrage in her eyes, realizing the dismissiveness her superiors had shown toward my case. I’d known coming into this that a reflexive denial was likely, but my goals had changed.

It's not about xenobotany, or even paving a path for the Kolshians of the future anymore. I want to stay here, with her. I can’t bear the thought that I’ll never see her again.

I lowered my eyes, before pulling her closer to me. “It’s not your fault. There is nothing you could’ve done, when their minds were made up from the start. I always knew they were going to turn me down, but you surprised me…because you listened. You cared. All I want is to enjoy our time together, Chloe…whatever we have left.”

“No. I’m not accepting this, even though I knew you would. We can fight this, Kelvan; it’s not right!” she protested. “I’ll search for a way, and we’ll do whatever it takes to at least stall—to buy time to spread your story.”

“I don’t want to fight, and I definitely don’t want to put you through any more stress. I do hope you’ll think about me…maybe tell people about me. I know that I’ll remember you for the rest of my life. Let’s enjoy each other’s company, until I’m given no choice but to leave. Make the most of our last—”

“I want more than a day! Every hour we prolong this is an hour I don’t have to say goodbye. We can work together to figure out how to reverse the decision, get it tied up in courts, or passed over someone’s desk for a longer look; I will do anything. Please try, for my sake. For us.”

I hesitated, uncertain whether resisting would only make it hurt worse. “Okay, Chloe. What can we even do? I’m guessing they want me gone within the hour.”

“I have an idea. Lobby a complaint against me with Sapient Resources, suggesting that I mishandled your case,” she said. “I don’t know much about this shit, but I know you have grounds. There’s evidence of inappropriate conduct by me, in the form of making a pass at you during a pending case. Guards found us together: proof. If that doesn’t get a review, nothing will!”

“No way. I don’t want to drag your name through the mud, or put more eyes on you. I would never want to jeopardize your welfare.”

“I want you to. I don’t care about losing my job if it means you get asylum and a better life. Me not sticking my neck out endangers your welfare, in a lot more real way than maybe getting fired or blackballed. I can’t bear the thought of you, amid all that chaos and decline on Aafa.”

As her eyes pleaded with me, I couldn’t bring myself to argue with Chloe. The fact that it was worth it to her, all over concern for my status, made my heart feel fuzzy. The human took my silence as agreement, baring her teeth at me in happiness. She looked so determined to figure out a way to keep me from being sent away; I wasn’t sure how it would look if we kept seeing each other, when I was lodging a complaint against her. Then again, who cared about optics? I knew that Volani, my sister back on Aafa, would be horrified to learn how smitten I was with a binocular-eyed meat-eater. It would be the same disdainful look that Perry had been giving Chloe, when she insisted that I could be trusted.

What if Perry was right that I’m taking advantage of her, just by going along with this? I don’t want to ruin Chloe’s career or reputation. I have to figure out what the consequences would be, before I move forward with this.

“How can anyone believe humans don’t have empathy?” I marveled. “You are so selfless, Chloe de Vries. You have nothing to gain by helping me.”

The primate’s eyelashes fluttered. “That’s not true. What I gain is spending more time with the talking chair of a man I love.”

“That’s weird that you’d be attracted to chairs. It doesn’t sound—”

Chloe jabbed an elbow into my side, chuckling. “I’d love to keep talking, especially since there’s so much I still want to learn about you. Your youngest memories. What school was like. Your first crush, your proudest achievements, your life with your sister.”

“I want to learn all the same things about you. We could just sit here a little longer and talk.”

“Believe me, I want to. Your presence is intoxicating, and I don’t want you out of my sight. But you need to go file that complaint, while you still can. I wouldn’t put it past Kenzo or Perry to come break us up, if we stall much longer.”

“Then I’ll be on my way. What will you do?”

Chloe pointed a finger at her workstation. “I’m going to research any workarounds for your denial, or other options to get citizenship on Earth. I’ll also ask if anyone’s interested in hiring a Kolshian; Kenzo might bite, if it gets humans out of interacting with your people. We are short-staffed.”

“That’s a good idea. If I find an opportunity to offer my services, I will—maybe they’ll let me work here to make this go away. A job here means staying with you, so I’m willing to do anything.”

“Then we have a plan of action. This can work, as long as we trust that things will shake out like they’re supposed to. Go tell them what a shitty caseworker I am!”

“Gladly.” I strolled toward the door, taking a final glance at Chloe; if I didn’t locate and make it to Sapient Resources, this could be the last time I saw her. “Please remember to take care of yourself. Whatever happens, know that I’ll always love you.”

“Kelvan, I’ll love you to my last breath. Now go.”

I drew a deep breath, shimmying out the door; a human guard was lurking in close proximity, eager to intercept me. Despite my misgivings over involving Chloe, I resigned myself to honoring her wishes. We both needed to put our personal gain aside, and do what was best for us as a couple. My lips moved to ask the Terran to take me to Sapient Resources, since I’d have zero hope of finding it on my own. It was the test of whether the primates were going to remove me from the station, without a care for my reasonable request. The security staffer scrutinized me with wary eyes, before leading me down the hallway with a huff. He all but stormed past the standard offices, pointing me toward a single door: a bored-looking woman, with glasses and stern features waited inside.

Hoping against hope that Chloe could arrive at a solution, I forced myself to head inside to formalize my complaint. If this didn’t buy a sufficient amount of time, I was selling the most wonderful person in the galaxy out for nothing.

First | Prev | Next

A/N - Chapter 7! Chloe manages to get Kelvanis safely back to her office, amid doubtful and disdainful remarks from Perry, who questions his authenticity. Kelvan takes the news in stride just wants to salvage their last few hours together, but Chloe has crafted a plan to prolong his stay and merit a second chance through a Sapient Resources complaint, weaponizing their relationship; he has reservations about hurting her, but eventually caves under her insistence. 

Do you think that method will bear results, or that there are other options to keep Kelvan off Aafa? What do you think of Chloe trying to lay herself out on the train tracks?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!